Chapter 1174: The Russo-Japanese War, in which both sides were defeated
Chapter 1151 – The Russo-Japanese War of Two Losses
“Hmph!”
“Austrians this is eaten we dare not ……”
The words reached his mouth, Nicholas II swallowed back. There is no way, the current tsarist government is really afraid to tear up the alliance.
There is a covenant in the constraints, the Vienna government at most secretly engage in small actions, the surface will not target the Russian Empire.
Once the treaty is gone, then not only restrict the supply of strategic goods, but also openly support the independence movement.
“Dismemberment of the Russian Empire”, this is the common dream of European politicians, Vienna naturally will not be an exception.
The rebels in the country were already troublesome enough, and if a world hegemon took a stand, the next situation would be even more difficult to manage.
Nicholas II’s strategic vision is not very good, but the rules of the political game is still skillful, know how to use the rules of the Russian Empire in the best interests.
“That’s just it, since the Austrians are pushing back, these foreign affairs will be put aside for now. We’ll find a chance to settle things with them after we’ve gotten over this.
As an ally, we asked them for help, and the government of Vienna is not likely to be left without a sign, is it?”
Not tolerate can not, although the woolly bears are used to “reckless”, does not mean that they will not “hold back”.
At the moment, so many countries to assassinate Russia, obviously the tsarist government has violated the public anger, even if the government of Vienna is willing to support them, in fact, can not do anything.
For the Vienna government, Russia is an ally of the European countries are also allies, since the infighting between the allies, it can only make peace.
Nicholas II did not fantasize that the Vienna government could do anything about the countries, mainly because he hoped that the countries to lift the material “embargo”.
Now did not achieve the purpose, then the next best thing, directly to the Vienna government to seek help.
Between allies have the obligation to help, although the invitation to send troops to suppress the rebellion is a little bit of shame, but compared to stabilize the situation as soon as possible, face is really nothing.
Foreign Minister Mikhailovich: “The Vienna government has agreed to provide us with weapons assistance in the form of 30,000 rifles, 1,000 machine guns, 500 artillery pieces, and 100 tanks.
As for the request to send troops to suppress the rebellion, they rejected it on the grounds: not to interfere in the internal affairs of our allies.
However, they promised to guarantee the logistical supply of our troops on the Indian front. As soon as the World War is over, the export of supplies will be resumed.”
There was quite a bit of arms aid, but only ammunition was left out. Weaponry alone, without enough ammunition, is a burning stick when it reaches the soldier.
If one is a little more unscrupulous and extends the delivery time by that much, or makes a fuss about the delivery location, I’m afraid that one won’t even be able to get the burning sticks.
For example: provided to the Russian army on the Indian front.
“Non-interference in internal affairs” may sound good, reflecting the Vienna government’s respect for the sovereignty of its allies. The problem is that if they are not interfering in internal affairs, then what is the point of providing weapons and equipment?
The most pitiful thing is that, as the central government, the Vienna government actually failed to control the minions below it. The main force supporting the Polish independence movement this time was the Kingdom of Prussia.
As a matter of fact, this was not the first time that Prussia had done this kind of thing. Ever since Prussia returned to the Holy Roman Empire, it became emboldened.
From its first secret dealings with the Polish independence organizations, it developed to the later stage of hosting the “remnants of the United Kingdom of Prussia and Poland” in the open.
Nowadays, all the middle and upper officers of the Polish rebels have served in the Prussian army, and more than half of the junior officers are also from the Prussian army.
The Warsaw War was more a continuation of the Russo-Prussian War than an attempt at independence by the Poles.
Without the tacit approval of the Vienna government, how could Prussia dare to play such a big game?
If Prussia and Poland had historical ties, Berlin’s support for the Polish independence movement was barely justifiable; but what was the matter with supporting the Lithuanian independence movement?
Contributing money, people, and labor, all of these have a cost. It’s not that people look down on the Kingdom of Prussia, with the Berlin government’s family money, it really can’t afford to play such a big game.
It is not only the Kingdom of Prussia, but also Sweden, which supports the Finnish independence movement, Greece, which supports the Bulgarian independence movement, and ……, which supports the Ukrainian independence movement.
Piece by piece, behind all of them, they all point to the Vienna government. With the current international situation, can instigate countries together against the Russian Empire black hand in addition to the Holy Roman Empire, can no longer find the second.
Knowing who is behind this, Nicholas II still asked for help from the Vienna government, essentially releasing a political signal: we can’t afford to play, recognize that you’re the world’s boss, don’t toss your little brother around.
However, politics is not a game, and bowing down and admitting defeat is not the same as the end. The response given by the Vienna government was not satisfactory to the Tsarist government.
The World War was the last time the world would be divided, and unless the Holy Roman Empire fell, it would never happen again.
To wait for the end of the World War before resuming the export of strategic goods to Russia was to say explicitly that the division of the world had nothing to do with the Russian Empire.
For the Tsarist government, this was undoubtedly a disaster. The Russian Empire also put up a bloody fight for this World War.
Even when the civil war broke out, it did not draw back the Russian troops at the front. Of course, the troops that wanted to draw back to the front could not be withdrawn.
In any case, there were always millions of Russian troops who fought bloody battles in this war and made outstanding contributions to this world war.
But the division of the spoils depends not only on contribution, but also on strength. The Russian Empire, in the midst of a civil war, was naturally incapable of competing with other countries for the spoils of war.
How much of the spoils could be shared depended on the integrity of the Vienna government. It is not necessary to think that even if you can get a share of the booty, I am afraid that it will only be some leftovers.
Nicholas II can not refuse, otherwise the next days of the Russian Empire, will be more painful.
The spoils of war are only so much in total, divided into fewer people, each family will get one more share. Especially less the Russian Empire this giant, for the countries is even more favorable.
The Vienna government had already made it clear that it was giving up on India, and now it was left to the European countries to fight it out amongst themselves. As long as the Russians were kicked out, everyone would be able to eat.
In the past, everyone would never dare to offend the Russian Empire, but now the interests involved are too big, big enough to make countries go crazy.
This, together with the hints, if any, of the Vienna government, has further stimulated the ambitions of all countries. If the Tsarist government does not agree now, everyone will dare to hunt bears.
……
Political encounters are ultimately determined by strength.
As the main force of the Russian army was dragged in the front line, the army used to suppress the domestic rebellion are newly formed troops, the rabble against the rabble, the two sides are also considered to be a chess match, the battle to quell the rebellion is naturally not smooth.
The Russian army on the Indian battlefield was fine, following the Allied forces to fight together, with the Vienna government to cover the bottom of the hunger.
The Russian army in the Far East was miserable. Along with the French laborers in Siberia to start a rebellion, the tsarist government hoarded supplies along the way, all became the rebels’ food.
Without domestic support, the Russian army in the Far East could only rely on smuggling for supplies.
Although the smugglers in the Far East were very powerful, the Far East Empire itself was an agricultural country.
Food, cloth, tents, cotton clothes and other basic materials, as long as the money can be bought, medicine, weapons and ammunition, aircraft spare parts and other special materials is a problem.
Especially after the blockade policy implemented by various countries against Russia, the big arms dealers have disappeared, directly cutting off the Russian army through the smuggling of large quantities of weapons and ammunition to obtain the road.
The Russian army had to use bullets sparingly; airplanes and airships were even worse; the life span of spare parts for warplanes was very short these days, and they usually had to be replaced after a few flights.
Because of the lack of sufficient spare parts reserves, the Russian air force in the Far East was forced to reduce the number of trips, and after a period of hard work, it ended up on the ground.
Even if the Russian army is still heroic, but by the logistical constraints, flesh and blood is still difficult to be machine guns and artillery.
After paying a terrible price of 80,000 casualties, on October 24, 1905, the Japanese army captured Vladivostok. Nearly 50,000 Russian defenders were forced to lay down their arms and surrender after they ran out of ammunition.
A month before that, the fortress of Brigade …… had already fallen. Although the Japanese paid a terrible price, the
situation in the Far East was also completely reversed.
In the past year, the tsarist government in the Far East, has lost a total of up to more than half a million troops, and now the remnants of the Russian army has been less than 200,000 people.
Even if the Siberian Railway is immediately restored, the Russian army, which has lost a large number of troops and many strategic places, is now equally helpless.
……
The Russo-Japanese War was won, the Japanese government people still look gloomy.
In the past days, only thinking about hitting the Russian army in the Far East hard and accomplishing the agreement with the Vienna government, they did not care about the soldiers’ casualties at all.
Now that the Great War has come to an end, and when the losses are counted, everyone is shocked by the staggering casualty figures.
As the victor of the war, Japan’s casualties were even greater than those of the Russian army, with as many as 380,000 soldiers killed and 760,000 wounded.
(Remarks: Wounded men could rejoin the war after recovery, there was double counting)
There was no way around it, who made them the attacking side?
Although at the late stage, the Russian army lacked weapons and ammunition, but they did not lack food! There was no point in stalling, only to take a strong attack.
The tragedy was that after the Battle of Malacca, Japan’s trade lines with Europe were directly interrupted, and weapons and ammunition were all produced locally.
Ordinary guns can still be barely supplied, cutting-edge airplanes and tanks have become expendable.
Due to the lack of sufficient heavy firepower, many times the Japanese army could only take human lives to fill. It is now the samurai spirit is rampant, the mainstream of the army is to fight to the death, fight the war once on the head without using the brain.
Fighting is certainly courageous, but the price to pay is also amazing. When fighting, people did not pay attention, when the final inventory, it is no wonder that the people do not move.
Based on the casualty figures on paper alone, the crowd could be sure that Imperial Japan had lost badly this time. It was true that the Russians had been defeated, but it was more than worth it compared to the price paid.
Navy waste, army disabled, the national treasury can starve to death rats, the whole country is all “white sails”, the final harvest is the cold three words – “defeated country”.
The completion of the agreement does not mean that things are understood. To end the war, Japan needed to pay more.
Moreover, the agreement with the Vienna government was made only by implication, and no written document was signed with them, not even a specific promise.
How it would end up all depended on the moderation of the Vienna government. If Japan and Russia had not formed a deadly enmity with no room for détente, the Japanese Government would not have been able to do it at all.
Spare the old and dignified Ito Hirobumi, at this moment there is no longer the calmness of the past days. Even though he has seen a lot of wind and waves, he has never seen such a huge wave that could overturn Japan.
The key to the problem is “heavy losses”, now the Japanese Empire is in the weakest time, there is no talk about the treatment of the money.
Ito Hirobumi did not dare to bet that the enemy would not make an expedition, because to deal with the present Japan, there was no need for an expedition.
As long as warships are sent to lock the coastline, Japan, as an island nation, will immediately be in trouble.
“Gentlemen relax, there is an old saying in the Far Eastern Empire next door: a blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise. It’s perfect to describe us right now.
The Ocean Alliance collapsed, and as the loser in the war, the Empire is bound to pay a terrible price for it. Otherwise the victorious nation would be uncomfortable in its heart, and now the Empire has paid.
The Continental Alliance is not ironclad, and it’s no secret at all that the European nations have joined forces to suppress the Russians.
We happened to do what they wanted to do, but it was inconvenient for them to do it directly. The countries can’t even thank us enough, so how could they deliberately make things difficult?”
Ito Hirobumi explained with forced composure.
(End of chapter)